For the first time, Russia is becoming a budget destination thanks to Easyjet’s Moscow routes from Manchester and London. While seeing more of the country takes a lot of time and commitment, the Golden Ring is a great way to see a glimpse of traditional Russia. Made of up several traditional towns in a loop near Moscow, the ring is full of kremlins, monasteries and beautiful buildings in varying stages of preservation, repair or decay.
I spent four months living in Yaroslavl, which serves as a good base for exploring other towns, though many closer to Moscow are easy day trips. The below photos were taken in Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Rostov Veliky and Sergiev Posad.
Church of Archangel Michael, Yaroslavl
Frescoes
Rostov Veliky skyline
Inside the Rostov Veliky kremlin
Ipatiev monastery
Inside the Sergiev Posad kremlin
Inside Ipatiev monastery
Alexander Nevsky chapel
Walls of Spasso-Yakovlevsky monastery
Yaroslavl’s assumption cathderal
Ipatiev monastery
Old church
View of monastery across the frozen Lake Nero
Traditional wooden architecture
Inside Ipatiev monastery
Traditional dacha
Yaroslavl assumption cathedral
Rostov Veilky kremlin
Abandoned church walls
Inside the Rostov Veliky kremlin